Input Stories

Farmers in the U.S. are finding opportunities to expand their portfolios by sharing land with solar companies (The Washington Post, subscription).

The challenge: “According to the Energy Department, decarbonizing the electricity grid by 2050 will require solar power to provide nearly half of all U.S. energy production, up from just 3.4 percent today. To meet these federally mandated climate goals, the solar industry requires land, and lots of it.”

The solution: Today, some farmers are turning to agrivoltaics—essentially, producing both energy and food on the same plot of land. While agrivoltaics can refer to a range of agricultural practices, the most typical one in the U.S. is solar grazing, in which farmers graze sheep on land that is covered with solar panels.

• The solution helps preserve farmland and offer American farmers another income stream, while also supporting America’s advanced energy production.

Side benefits: The shade produced by solar panels makes it more comfortable for sheep to graze as temperatures rise, while grazing sheep can improve soil health through natural fertilizer and eliminate the need for mowers and herbicides.

By the numbers: The United States has 200 grazing sites representing 50,000 acres of land. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the industry is projected to be valued at $9.3 billion by 2031.

The next step: There is growing interest in cattle grazing at solar sites.

• “There is growing interest in grazing cattle underneath solar panels. This year, the Energy Department launched the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize, providing millions of dollars for research around solar development and cattle grazing.”
• With 44% of all U.S. farmland used for meat and dairy production, this shift could open enormous possibilities for farmers and energy companies alike.